Kanpur Nursing Home NICU fire claims newborn's life; registration cancelled
Kanpur Baby Dies in NICU Fire; Probe Reveals Safety Lapses
Kanpur: A private nursing home in Bithoor in Kanpur district came under the scanner after a newborn girl tragically died in a fire inside a warmer machine in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on Sunday evening. Following the incident, the district administration cancelled the facility’s NICU registration for operating without permission and other irregularities.
According to hospital records and the family, the baby was delivered via caesarean section around 4 pm on Sunday and shifted to the NICU for routine observation while the mother was moved to the ward. A few hours later, the warmer reportedly caught fire at Raja nursing home, causing severe burn injuries to the infant’s face, chest, and abdomen. Despite being rushed to another private children’s hospital, the newborn was declared dead. Authorities said the fire was likely caused by a short circuit in the machine. The family alleged negligence on the part of the hospital staff.
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According to a written complaint filed by the baby’s aunt, hospital staff failed to inform the family for nearly half an hour after the delivery. She alleged that the family learned about the birth only through a cleaning staff member. Shortly after, the family was told that a fire had broken out in the NICU and that smoke had spread through the ward. After repeated inquiries, hospital staff informed them that the baby, born to her sister, had sustained serious burn injuries, reports India Today.
District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh said the investigation revealed that although the nursing home was registered, it had not obtained official permission to operate the NICU. Fire extinguishers at the facility were also found to be expired during the inspection. Authorities have issued a notice to the management to provide clarification within three working days and warned that strict action will be taken if the NICU is operated again.
A case was registered against the nursing home doctors under Section 106 (1) of the Indian Justice Code at Bithoor police station, based on a complaint filed by the deceased newborn's family, reports TOI.
Singh emphasized that patient safety is non-negotiable and announced mandatory safety audits of life-saving equipment in all district hospitals. He also vowed strict action against unlicensed health units to prevent such tragedies.
The incident had sparked anger among the family and local residents, who staged a protest inside the hospital and damaged parts of the NICU. The family alleged that the hospital management offered Rs 2 lakh to settle the matter, although this claim has not been officially confirmed.
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Police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Assistant Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) Ramit Rastogi said a three-member inquiry committee has been constituted to ascertain the cause of the fire, reports TOI.
